A machine tool cuts a workpiece to be machined according to control performed by a numerical control device. Specifically, a tool is mounted on the machine tool, and a mechanism for moving the tool in the machine tool operates according to the control performed by the numerical control device, so that the position of the tool moves to perform cutting of the workpiece. For example, the machine tool is a lathe or a machining center. For example, the workpiece is formed of metal.
When cutting of a workpiece is performed, swarf is produced. Swarf caught in one or both of the tool and the workpiece causes degradation in the accuracy of cutting, damage on the tool, or an alert due to an increase in processing load, and therefore the swarf accumulated in a container of the machine tool needs to be removed periodically.
In related art, a chip discharge device including a chip conveyor in which the position of a chip discharge side is lower than the position of a chip receiving side is proposed (refer to Patent Literature 1, for example). In related art, a processing machine system that estimates an accumulation amount of chips on the basis of a processing program, and collects the chips by a robot when the estimated accumulation amount of chips has reached a predetermined amount is also proposed (refer to Patent Literature 2, for example).